Sherpas are a people of Tibetan ancestry who migrated to Nepal about 600 years ago. They are
renowned for their ability to tolerate high altitudes, their
mountaineering abilities, and their extraordinary bravery.

According to National Geographic, Mount Everest grows about 4
millimeters a year. The official height of Everest, as of Nov. 11, 1999,
is 29,035 feet.

Mount Everest is also called "Chomolungma" by Tibetans and Sherpas.
It means "Mother Goddess of the Earth."

In 1963, the first American, James Whittaker, summits Mount
Everest.

The Japanese-run Everest View Hotel is at 12,779 feet the highest
hotel in the world.

In 1975, Japan's Junko Tabei
became the first woman to summit Mount Everest.

Reinhold Messner was the first climber to summit Everest alone.
Later, he became the first to reach the top without oxygen.